If your favorite activity is to shop almost everything online – household goods, to pamper yourself with new clothes, shoes or jewelry, to get everything for the child, etc., then this service would be useful for all of you. You may not be familiar with the term BOPIS, but you have certainly heard of, and probably used, this service. It is a convenient delivery option that online merchants can take advantage of. To find out a little more about the nature, advantages and disadvantages of BOPIS, do not miss the following lines.
What is BOPIS?
BOPIS, generally speaking, is a free shipping option for online retail purchases. More and more retailers are providing this incredible opportunity to their customers, which visibly increases online sales. The only inconvenience that is created for the customer is that it is necessary to visit the physical store of the brand from which he orders. From there the receipt is made – the service is at the checkout, by an employee of the store.
The most important feature of BOPIS delivery is the merger between physical and online stores. In this way, retailers benefit because customers increase their online shopping, which saves personal service from staff. However, there is one more thing – when visiting the physical store, they can also make an additional purchase.
BOPIS seems to work in a simple way, but in fact there is quite interesting information about the service. It includes the various BOPIS models used by retailers. Also, what should traders do in order for BOPIS to work in their favor and create convenience for customers, etc. In general, BOPIS is aimed at traders and customers, both with its pros and cons.
One of the biggest challenges of the service is the speed of delivery of the package to the final recipient. That is why the additional service taking in a cupboard – BOPIL – comes to the rescue. This provides convenience, but also reduces delivery costs.
BOPIS is an attractive option for customers, but sometimes creates difficulties for traders. However, they do not interrupt the service. On the other hand, they add value by using additional parcels so that they can store all online orders. Thanks to the number of advantages of parcel terminals, a perfect organization can be created, manual labor can be reduced, and hence a lot of costs. And all this without compromising the security of supply.
How does the BOPIS system work?
It can be explained very clearly and simply for understanding. In order to provide customers with the specified delivery option, the trader must have both an online store and a physical one. Thus BOPIS is an additional delivery option from which the customer has the right to choose.
Once the buyer chooses to take advantage of the delivery service, he must wait for a notification by phone or email, after which he can visit the physical store and pick up the order. The only thing to consider is the opening hours of the store.
The way BOPIS works can be considered in two ways:
- The first is when a product or products are available in the store and the customer wants to take the order. This is the quickest and easiest way, because only the goods need to be found in the warehouse and prepared by the employee. This procedure takes from a few minutes to about an hour.
- The second case is when the goods are not available in the store warehouse. The customer can again make a choice to take from this store, but will have to wait at least two days for this.
What are the advantages of BOPIS?
The advantages of BOPIS are not insignificant and this is the reason for the frequently used service, as well as its promotion. On the plus side, the positives are not one-sided, and can benefit both retailers and online consumers. The service has won large positions in a number of retail brands, allowing them to stand out from the competition and rank on with the most giant online sales companies.
In order for every trader to be successful, it is required to be fair with the customers, to make fast deliveries and to provide them with convenience when shopping. Customers are looking for their shopping adventure and are willing to make a purchase if retailers provide them with an easy, fast and rational way to buy goods.
Here, more clearly, are the main advantages of using BOPIS in online sales:
Avoiding the cost of delivery to the last mile
Transportation costs are something that every trader tries to deal with. It is these costs until the last mile that prove significant to retailers. BOPIS does not require wasting time and redistribution to different addresses and respectively delivery to each client separately. This type of delivery is fast, reliable and cheaper, because all packages are delivered to one point – to the physical store of the brand. This avoids significant costs, but at the expense of which the user experience is improved.
Fast delivery
BOPIS delivery satisfies even the most impatient customers. Delivery is not only reliable, but also much faster than standard transportation to an address. Thanks to this advantage, you can order your favorite goods from your favorite retailer. In a very short time your package will be prepared and waiting for you. You will receive a notification when your entire order is in the store.
In the best case, you can get new clothes, shoes or other goods in a minute, if the items you choose are available in the store.
Flexible shopping
BOPIS is a convenience that provides a flexible shopping model. This is exactly what online shoppers expect today. Flexibility is expressed in quick and easy shopping, on the way to work or vice versa, at lunch break, in the evening on TV, etc. The basket can be filled with one click, and delivery can be made to the store the next morning.
In-store traffic increases
The more visitors, the more sales opportunities. This applies to both physical and especially online stores. Traffic is a desirable way to promote and increase the revenue of any retailer. One look can always lead to reckless purchases, because delivery is free and fast.
Integrated inventory management
This advantage is also among those that apply to retailers. The introduction of the BOPIS service has changed the way traders use their inventory. Inventory is the best way to visualize and manage inventory. Prior to BOPIS, there were two inventory systems – for stores and for distribution centers.
Through BOPIS, these two systems merge and simplify inventory management. To date, there are many more options for quick assembly of ordered products – in case an item is not available in the distribution warehouse, but in the warehouse of a store, the order can be fulfilled and the item can be sent directly from this store. This means that combining the two inventory systems gives a complete view and proper management of all stocks.
Security
Security is very important for customers and traders, but unfortunately when delivering to an address, unpleasant situations such as theft often occur. For this reason, many property owners install surveillance cameras and install other types of security systems. In order not to worry all day about your shipment, whether it will be waiting for you on the doorstep, it is better to choose the BOPIS option. This way your delivery will be secure, you can pick it up every day from the store, within its working hours.
One of the biggest worries for all traders, shippers and customers can be eliminated with thorough reliable BOPIS delivery.
Disadvantages of BOPIS and BOPIS alternatives
Both of each activity and each service has a number of advantages, but also some disadvantages. Although not many in this case, some may be on display. The disadvantages, in contrast to the advantages, are aimed at traders.
Here they are:
- E-commerce through BOPIS needs further improvements in the future due to the need to invest in manual labor (labor)
- The BOPIS option is a good option, but not every retailer can afford it. There are two reasons – not everyone has a physical store and enough space to store many shipments and large stocks. Terminal cells (BOPIL) are a good alternative to this problem. This saves delivery costs to an address, redirecting orders back to one point – to the location of the parcel terminal.
- There are cases when there are difficulties in the perfect service – the combination of the user’s online experience and the physical visit of the store by customers to obtain the relevant products. There are bugs on the site, with the payment or something else.
Although several shortcomings have been highlighted regarding BOPIS, their elimination is possible. The best solution, which has been targeted by a number of retailers, is the installation of parcel terminals. They are reliable, distribution in cells and allows for a cheap and fast delivery. They are also a self-service, which will save labor costs and more.
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